Walter could not hold back a groan as his eye travelled
to the paper on the floor.

Bauer saw his glance. "What is it? Read it for me."

Walter put his hands over his face and muttered.

"Oh, I can't, Felix, it's too cruel."

"Nothing's too cruel if you're used to it." He started to get up from
the couch, but Walter prevented him.

"Lie down there. I'll read it to you if I must, simply because someone
will have to do it sometime. But I would rather be hanged than do it."

He hardly ventured to look at Bauer when he had finished the newspaper
account. When he did look at him, he saw him sitting up on the couch,
his hands clasped over his knees, a slight increase of colour on his
face but no mark of any unusual anger or feeling.

"How could he do it! How could he!" Bauer whispered to himself, looking
off into the distance as if Walter were not present. His whole attitude
affected Walter more deeply than if he had given way to a violent
passion.

"It's an outrage! There ought to be some way to get the money. You could
have him arrested when he------"

"Arrest my father? On the charge of being a thief? Would you do that to
your------"

Walter choked. "Arrest my father? I should think not. But------"

"He may be all you think, but I will never lift a finger against him.
Let God punish him, as he has already."

"And meanwhile, if Halstead & Co. are informed how matters are, they
might------"

"It isn't likely. They have paid the money once. Certainly they won't do
it again. I never heard of any such philanthropists doing business in
Washington."

"But how will you be able to go out to Arizona?" Walter blurted before
he thought, and then wanted to bite his tongue off as Bauer turned his
face towards him, a faint smile lighting it.

"I won't go. 'Wir mussen alie einmal sterben?'"

"But you'll have to go. We'll have to find a way."

"Where there's a will there's a way? Also even more necessary, the
money. Now I've will enough. But it won't pay for a ticket nor buy the
necessary canned goods to go with the sand of the desert when I get
there. I'll set up my incubators here at Burrton and raise chickens
enough to bury me decently. 'Wir mussen alie einmal sterben.'"

"Yes, but we don't have to die before our time. There must be some way
out."

"I don't know of any." said Bauer gravely but not with any bitterness.
"But don't let it worry you. I don't want to have you worried with it."

Nevertheless Walter